Tag: Shameless (21-30 of 39)

There’s no question about it: Fiona Gallagher is growing up. She is likely acutely aware of this fact with the growing pains she is suffering through, but progress is progress, and she is definitely making some. Last week we watched as the eldest Gallagher fell into her usual Shameless patterns. Jimmy popped back into her life, and she was unable to fight the magnetic attraction she feels to him. Old Fiona may have tried to cover up this indiscretion, but new Fiona ‘fesses up immediately.

Fiona acknowledges that she and Jimmy have unfinished business, so naturally Gus wants to meet him, because that’s a good idea. It goes about as well as one might imagine. It takes Gus fewer than two seconds to give Jimmy’s face the same treatment Fiona gave it last week. In fairness to Gus, though, I like Jimmy and even I wanted to wipe the sh—eating grin off his face.

On the most recent episode of Shameless, Mickey (Noel Fisher) accompanies the Gallaghers to retrieve Ian (Cameron Monaghan) after his breakdown. When asked by the arresting officer what his relationship is to Ian, Mickey answers without blinking an eye: “Partner. Lover. Family.”

The journey to this moment has not been easy. Ian and Mickey have had their share of obstacles, not the least of which was Mickey’s violent and intensely homophobic father, Terry. For Mickey and Ian, it has always been one step forward, two (maybe three) steps back. But as all “Gallavich” fans can attest, each season has had beautiful moments of growth, even if they were followed by gut-wrenching setbacks.

As season five hits its midpoint, let’s take a look back at the most defining moments in Gallavich history.Read More

Welcome to This Week on Shameless, a new podcast that delves into the hilarious and heartbreaking world of the Gallaghers, TV’s best family living below the poverty line. Each week, fellow EW Community contributor Tamar Barbash and I discuss, analyze, and occasionally freak out over impromptu marriages, stolen babies, insurance fraud, and whatever else is going on in the lives of Frank, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, and Carl. If you can’t get enough of Shameless, you’ve come to the right place—because neither can we.

Oof. Anyone else need a minute to recover from this episode of Shameless? “Crazy Love” is the episode we’ve been building toward for a long time, and as far as payoffs go, this was a particularly satisfying one on several levels. Where to begin?

After blowing our minds with a Jimmy sighting as the credits rolled in the season four finale, he has finally reconnected with Fiona. She is, as expected, furious at him for disappearing, which she makes abundantly clear by beating the crap out of him. He explains to her—and us—where he’s been (tied up on a yacht, forced to work in a drug plant, suffering from malaria), and tells her that he wanted to call but couldn’t. Jimmy’s pursuing of Fiona is reminiscent of season one, when he unabashedly stalked her until she agreed to give him the attention he craved. She attempts to dismiss him here as well, but his persistence and charm are once again too much for her to deny.

Actors are constantly taking the leap to new mediums—especially Broadway actors. Their talents stretch from singing to dancing to acting, often showcasing unbelievable abilities in these areas. Many of these musically trained performers are recognizable in today’s world of television—it’s a platform that’s growing exponentially for Broadway performers.

How many of the following seven outstanding actors have you seen without even realizing where they got their start?Read More

How well can you ever really know a person? How well can you know yourself? These are the questions that Shameless raises in “Rite of Passage.”

After a “shotgun” wedding with no baby to use as an excuse, Fiona begins to wonder if she and Gus made a huge mistake. She wakes up in the morning to find her husband with a needle in his arm and makes a heroin joke that feels particularly dark later, when Fiona finds Jackie (Alessandra Balazs) unconscious. No, it’s not drugs; Gus is diabetic, a rather large piece of information Fiona did not have before she tied the knot. Sean is struggling to accept Fiona as a married woman, taking it upon himself to point out to her just how much she doesn’t know (Gus’ middle name, for example). Sean cares for Fiona, but his own demons run deep. They sit together awaiting news on Jackie, and he tells her about the time his son, Will, found him nearly dead after an overdose. As he describes the scene and the rawness of his guilt and self-loathing, the juxtaposition is startling. Fiona may not know much about her husband, but she has seen the darkest parts of Sean’s soul.

Considering that the severe economic turmoil affecting a large majority of Americans is still prevalent today, years after one of the worst economic recessions in history ransacked the nation, it’s shocking more shows don’t include it in their narrative—like Shameless does.

There may be offhanded comments about a personal lack of funds sitting in a bank account, but the idea of poverty as a whole seems to shake every writer and producer to their core.

If you’ve seen any of the movies in The Hangover franchise, this week’s Shameless probably seemed familiar. Frank wakes up hungover on the day he’s supposed to receive his insurance check for over $120,000 (for having Carl break his leg). He goes to collect the check, only to discover that he already got it the day before. Thus begins an episode-long search to find the funds he accidentally spent.

It’s hard, as is often the case lately, not to feel that Frank is taking valuable screen time from characters we actually want to see. The caper ends when Frank learns that he blew his whole wad on prosthetics for child amputees. It’s tempting to feel frustrated that Frank didn’t hold on to the money, but that’s exactly the point. To someone with Frank’s level of dependency, money is often a means to more bad choices, not better ones. (And at least this did some actual good.)

On this week’s episode of Showtime’s Shameless, Debbie (Emma Kenney), the 14-year-old Gallagher sibling, loses her virginity. It is easy to feel disappointed or even angry with this story arc. Debbie has always been the beacon of innocence on a show that is saturated with questionable behavior.

Because the show started when Debbie was 11, we have had the opportunity to watch her grow up. We’ve known her since she was practically a baby (in attitude, not age; the same cannot be said for younger brother, Carl), and have seen the goodness that exists in her soul. So to see her fall prey to the oversexualized world around her is upsetting. And to see the story go down the way it did—she took advantage of a drunk friend and mounted him in his sleep—feels at least slightly untrue to the character.Read More

It’s Father’s Day on Shameless, but it is the Gallagher stand-in mother who really has reason to celebrate. Fiona is finally off house arrest and she cannot wait another second to get her ankle monitor off. Taking matters (and a screwdriver) into her own hands, Fiona frees herself from her shackles and heads to an NA meeting. She shows Sean, her boss/crush, her newly naked ankle and not so subtly makes her interest in him known.

Later, after Fiona waits patiently and professionally on very rude customers, they leave her with no tip. Southside Fiona comes out in full force as she follows them out of the restaurant to give them a piece of her mind. Things escalate and Fiona gets slapped. But it is when the male diner calls her a slut that Sean goes completely postal on him.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons